Abou Mrad, Nidaa
Classical Oriental | Lebanon
Nidaa Abou Mrad is one of the rare upholders of the Arab Near-Eastern classical music tradition, related to the modal system of maqâm. He is a violinist and improviser of a renowned talent, as well as a composer in the traditional style. He is a musicologist and the Director of the High Institute of Music at the Antonine University (Lebanon). As a scholar and as the Director of the Ensemble of Classical Arab Music, he revivaled two unique corpus of melodies written by Safiy a-d-Dîn al-Urmawî, from the Abbasid Era, and by Mikhâ’îl Mashshâqa from the early Nahda Era (Arabic renaissance of the 19th century).
The Classical Arabic Music Ensemble, specializing in the art music tradition of the Near East, was founded in 1998 by Nidaa Abou Mrad. Since 2002, it has been based at Antonine University’s Higher Institute of Music (Lebanon). The ensemble has created ten CDs and participated in a large number of musical events around the world.
Featuring:
The Arabic Classical Music Ensemble Of The Antonine University
Nidaa Abou Mrad – Concept and violin
Shaykh Salah Yammout – Qur'an cantillation and singing
Mohamad Ayach – Singing
Mikhael Hourani – Scriptural cantillation
Mustafa Saïd – Singing and ‘ûd (short-necked lute)
Father Joseph Bouraad – Scriptural cantillation and singing
Ghassan Sahhab – qânûn (plucked table zither).
